Twitter?s introduction of new video applications compatible with Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV devices underscores the rapidly growing number of avenues on which brands can broadcast premium live-streaming content.

The social network?s suite of new apps is now available in select markets worldwide, enabling publishers such as MLB Advanced Media and Bloomberg News to reach a plethora of new viewers on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Xbox One devices. The apps? rollout also indicates that live-streaming video?s marketing potential is not likely to fade anytime soon.

?The opportunity is very much there for Twitter to become the household name for live-streaming video,? said Ross Andrew, CEO and chairman of Maropost. ?This approach that the company is taking to showcase the many highlights and breaking news bits of content that come with it on other popular digital devices and services is a win-win.

?The ability for Twitter to live stream such popular pieces of content is a function that will resonate will nearly everybody interested in moving forward with the current digital age,? he said. ?The lone issue that could hamper Twitter from making the leap is the smaller user base that the platform has compared to Facebook.

?However, this issue can be well addressed as the application becomes more available for more countries and more devices.?

Best of Twitter
The three new apps all showcase live-streaming video ? such as live streams of the National Football League?s Thursday Night Football games and branded content from MLB Advanced Media and the National Basketball Association ? that can originally be located on Twitter.

The apps will feature content such as top aggregated Tweets, Periscope streams and Vines. Any individual ? regardless if he or she has a television subscription or a Twitter account ? can access this content.

Apple TV owners will have the added perk of enjoying live video while staying updated with Tweeted video clips via a side-by-side experience, underscoring consumers? growing reliance on second-screen viewing experiences.

Live streaming is steadily becoming a lucrative medium for brand publishers seeking to connect with millennial and younger audiences.

?Live streaming bypasses traditional ad blocking and is a path to brand-sponsored content allowing the integration of products in real-time, real-life stories in direct opposition to interruption-based, traditional advertisement that inherently elicits a lack of interest and a general feeling of distrust,? said Jon Bucci, CEO of Veri.

Twitter?s live-streaming app for Apple TV is currently live worldwide, while Twitter for Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick is available in U.S. and British markets.

Twitter for Xbox One will soon be available in the U.S., Britain, Australia, Canada, Brazil and Mexico.

Brands and live content
A rapidly rising number of marketers ? spanning a variety of industries ? are flocking toward live video advertising opportunities, likely in a bid to dole out engaging pieces of bite-sized content to target consumers.

Brands such as Jack in the Box and Samsung are finding wider audiences for their virtual reality and 360-degree video content now that a growing number of publishers, including Vice and Twitch, have launched advertising products to support immersive content (see story).

Meanwhile, General Mills is the latest sponsor of Yahoo Esports Live, a new weekly live-streaming show covering the world of esports, underscoring live video?s ability to connect brands with younger consumers (see story).

?Live streaming has become a very popular alternative for those that find themselves tired of traditional forms of content distribution,? Maropost?s Mr. Andrew said. ?It presents a great opportunity for marketers to continue to be innovative in their approaches to engage with audiences.

?As live streaming has moved from a trend to phenomenon, it surely will turn to a way of life and create a stronger market to advertise on social markets,? he said. ?Think about YouTube a decade ago, and YouTube now, it?s undeniable that the expansion and popularity of the platform has created a profound opportunity for advertising.

?Live streaming is next.?